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In March 1997, a local pastor brought the two illiterate nine-year-olds to the local military chief and said the Lord had spoken to them and they would save the Karen people. According to the legend among followers, the twins then rallied defenders of their village by shouting "God's Army!", leading them to a victory over Burmese troops.[3] Various legends claimed that the brothers had numerous magical powers, including invulnerability to bullets and mines, and that they could hand out magical bullets. Supposedly, they could kill by pointing a rifle at the ground and concentrating. One tale claims that Johnny turned himself into an old man and back when bathing in a river. The legend of the boys was embraced by locals who viewed the existing Karen National Union as corrupt and ineffective. A new rebel group called God's Army of the Holy Mountain, or God's Army for short, was thus formed under the nominal leadership of the Htoo twins.
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In 2009, Luther Htoo sought status as a refugee in Sweden and settled in Götene[8] while Johnny Htoo moved to a Thai refugee camp while attempting to go to New Zealand to join his mother and sister.[9] Luther married another Karen refugee in Sweden and fathered a child with her before divorcing.[8] In 2018, Luther Htoo returned to Myanmar after meeting a woman online; as of 2020 both are reportedly unemployed and struggle with alcoholism.